Senior IT Compliance Specialist

Job description

About the role: IT Compliance sits at the intersection of technology, regulation, and business — translating regulatory obligations into controls that work in a fast-moving fintech environment. This role owns IT audit readiness, gap assessments, and day-to-day IT Compliance work. ### Responsibilities: - Take ownership of preparation and coordination of IT audits, supervisory reviews, and regulatory information requests, ensuring timely, accurate, and complete delivery of required evidence. - Conduct IT compliance and control gap assessments against local regulatory requirements, internal policies, and recognized industry best practices. - Identify compliance gaps, control weaknesses, and technology risks; define, execute, and track remediation and corrective action plans in collaboration with IT, Security, Risk, and Compliance teams. - Support the development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of IT, cybersecurity, and information security policies, standards, and procedures aligned with regulatory expectations. - Act as a subject-matter expert on IT compliance and technology risk requirements, translating regulatory and supervisory expectations into practical, implementable controls. - Maintain accurate, complete, and audit-ready documentation for all IT compliance activities, including policies, procedures, risk assessments, and evidence repositories. - Support ongoing interactions with regulators and external auditors on technology, cybersecurity, and operational resilience topics. ### Requirements: - 4–6+ years of experience in IT compliance, IT audit, technology risk management, or related fields within regulated environments. - Strong understanding of regulatory expectations applicable to financial institutions in the UAE, particularly in the areas of: IT governance and oversight, Information security and cybersecurity controls, Technology risk management, Data protection and data residency, Access management, change management, and incident management, Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCP / DR). - Proven hands-on experience conducting IT and cybersecurity gap assessments and defining remediation plans aligned with regulatory and supervisory expectations. - Solid knowledge of internationally recognized IT and security frameworks (e.g. ISO 27001, NIST, COBIT) and ability to apply them in a regulatory context. - Experience supporting regulatory inspections, supervisory reviews, or external IT audits, including evidence preparation and issue remediation. - Ability to work independently on complex compliance topics, manage multiple priorities, and drive remediation activities to completion. - Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical and regulatory requirements to non-technical audiences. - Fluent English is required; **professional working proficiency in Arabic is mandatory** (written and spoken). - Strong analytical and risk-based mindset with high attention to detail. ### What you will get in return: - **Competitive Salary:** We believe great work deserves great pay! Your skills and talents will be rewarded with a salary that makes you feel valued and motivated. - **Work-Life Harmony:** Join a company that genuinely cares about you - because your life outside of work matters just as much as your time on the clock. #LI-Hybrid - **Annual Performance Bonus:** Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed! Celebrate your achievements with a well-deserved annual bonus tied to your performance. - **Generous Time Off:** Need a breather? Our annual leave policy lets you recharge and enjoy life outside of work without a worry. - **Employee Referral Program:** Love working here? Share the love! Bring your talented friends on board and get rewarded for growing our awesome team. - **Comprehensive Health & Pension Benefits:** From medical insurance to pension plans, we’ve got your back. Plus, location-specific benefits and perks! - **Workation Wonderland:** Live your digital nomad dreams with 30 extra days to work remotely from anywhere in the world (some restrictions apply). Adventure awaits! - **Volunteer Days:** Make a difference! Take two additional paid days each year to support causes you care about and give back to the community.